Integrating+2D+drawings+using+Autodesk+Link

=Facility Link Demonstration =

This 7 minute demonstration will show how to use Facility Link to connect from 2D Drawings (AutoCAD) to Facility Manager.

Demonstration
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Supporting Script: Facility Link Demonstration
This video demonstrates how to use Facility Link 7.1. During this overview we’ll be working inside of AutoCAD 2008. Once Facility Link is installed on your computer there are two ways of accessing the tools. The first one is to use the FM desktop menu pull down which has all the sub parts in it or Facility link creates shortcuts on the desktop during the installation of the program. First we need to open our “dwg” drawing in AutoCAD. Next we need to create polylined spaces across each area. You have the option to either do the inside of each area i.e. the paint to paint area or do the center line of each room. This information should be based on BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) standards. The next step is connecting to the database. To do this simply click on the **//Data Link//** icon, choose the database needed and hit //connect//. Now we are connected.

Now the polylines need to be converted to spaces. To do this, we go to **//Convert to Spaces//** tool bar which will prompt a pop up screen. So now to convert the polylines into an actual room or a space -- > Room numbering can be either be auto numbered, or space numbered from text or attribute or prompted for space number. For now, we will go with prompt for space number. So, what this is doing now is that it is creating objects which FM can recognize.

Now with the linked areas, we can use the **//Space Area Tool//** to add or edit the space information. Now recognize here that the property, building and floor information cannot be changed. (The one in red). The blue field here is the required field which is the asset tag number and the white fields are optional. All this information can also be added or edited within the FM software. We can add the space information like - Space name, Space usage, space type, capacity or other kind of information like the lease information, occupant and equipment information, allocation of space or user defined fields.

After we have polylined, linked and labeled our drawings we are ready to go ahead and create plan views. To do that we need to pull down //**Plan View Manager**// from the menu bar and create plans for FM. Space Plan is a default plan for FM.

Quick steps:

 * Install FM link
 * Installation rule important: Install it directly where AutoCAD is install
 * Link the drawing to the database
 * Convert the 2D drawing to room and spaces using the "Convert to Spaces toolbar"
 * Utilize the space area tool to add/edit information
 * Use Plan View manager to generate Space Plans

Output
After creating a space plan (demonstrated in the video), the plan can be imported into Facility Manager as a DWF file.

Go back to the Facilities page - http://bim.wikispaces.com/Facility Asset Management